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Ask Marilyn: A Classic Column About Logic

Tom Frost of Newport Beach, California, writes:

Marilyn: Back when I was in school, I saw a quote posted on my logic professor's door. It was an answer to the question about improving one's critical thinking skills, and your reply referred to studying logic. Can you repeat it? I have a Ph.D. in philosophy, I teach logic, and I'd like to share the quote with my students. (By the way, I am currently working in multiple logic books and attempting to master modal logic—the logic of necessity, possibility, and contingency. It is critical to my work in metaphysics and epistemology.) Marilyn responds:

Sure. The question was, "What is the most important thing a person can do to improve his or her critical thinking skills?"

I replied, "Study logic. Without a sound foundation in the principles of reasoning, you'll be less able to understand your world, and the ramifications of this will ripple through everything from work to play. Even worse, you won't realize what you're missing."